Parler was dropped by major tech companies after it was used by members to incite violence in the Capitol. It now relies on a hosting service owned by two Russians.
Parler, the social network popular with the alt-right and conspiracy theorists, reappeared with the help of a Russian web security service as the website looked for a way to bypass bans that took it offline earlier this month.
“Our return is inevitable because of hard work and persistence against all odds,” Chief Executive Officer John Matze wrote in a new post, the latest since Amazon Web Services stopped hosting the site and it was banned from Apple Inc. and Google’s app stores. Despite the threats and harassment, not a single Parler employee has resigned. We become closer and stronger as a team. ”
Parler, which was dropped by major tech companies after being used by members to incite violence in the Capitol, now relies on a hosting service from DDoS-Guard Corp., which is owned by two Russians, Evgenii Marchenko and Aleksei Likhachev, according to documents filed with Companies House, a UK agency that records company information and makes it available to the public. The DDoS-Guard website shows a location in Edinburgh for its registered office.
Public data associated with the Parler.com domain name shows that one of the Internet servers that these visitors refers to is routed through DDoS Guard. Another server, specifically for routing Parler.com email but not website content, is an Outlook.com address, operated by Microsoft Corp.
A spokeswoman for DDoS-Guard said the company did not host Parler and declined to comment on the services it provided to the social media app. It confirmed that it had stored customer data as part of its offering.
Last Sunday, Apple CEO Tim Cook defended Apple’s decision to scrap the Parler app, despite complaints from critics that the move encroaches on freedom of speech.
“We looked at the incitement to violence going on there,” Cook said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We believe that freedom of speech and incitement to violence are not at crossroads.”
Parler’s domain name is now registered with Epik Inc., a website service company based in Sammamish, Washington, according to public records made available by internet regulator Icann. Epik is also the domain registrar for Gab, another less restrictive social networking site popular with the far right.
Most features on Parler.com turned out to be unavailable on Tuesday, in addition to statements from Matze and other employees. Members cannot log in or post and the app is still not available in the Apple Inc. or Google Play stores.
“While we did not expect Parler to move their domain name to Epik on Jan. 11, we are very grateful for the opportunity,” Epik spokesperson Robert Davis said in an email. “It has spawned some great discussions about how Parler can be an inspiring part of the advancement and evolution of future social media.”
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prior to the ban, Parler – which has less restrictive terms dictating what members can post and was endorsed by some Republican lawmakers and media figures – had seen an increase in the number of users as Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. exiled outgoing President Donald Trump along with users and groups supporting the violence.